'Adulting' is now a class you can take at UC Berkeley

"We realized the things we don't learn in school are topics like taxes and just how to take care of yourself," Says Lau

"We realized the things we don't learn in school are topics like taxes and just how to take care of yourself," Says Lau

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"We realized the things we don't learn in school are topics like taxes and just how to take care of yourself," Says Lau

"We realized the things we don't learn in school are topics like taxes and just how to take care of yourself," Says Lau

Photo: Getty Images

'Adulting' is now a class you can take at UC Berkeley

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All students have a moment when they ask when they'll ever use an obscure math formula in real life. Wouldn't it make more sense to learn something practical, like how to change your car's oil?

That type of common-sense skill, which has recently been branded with the very hashtag-friendly term "adulting," is now something you can study through UC Berkeley's student-run DeCal Program. 20-year-old Belle Lau, a junior integrated biology student, conceived of the class along with her friend Jenny Zhou as a way to address the blind spots in their own educations.

"We realized the things we don't learn in school are topics like taxes and just how to take care of yourself," says Lau, who found she wasn't alone in her adulting anxiety. The debut spring semester of the class had 100 applicants for just 30 seats. This year she's coordinating two sessions.

Naturally, as someone who's not yet old enough to purchase alcohol, Lau doesn't proclaim to be an expert adult.

"We don't really know that much, so we're all learning together. We're the middlemen trying to get professionals to talk about these topics to students," she says. Guest speakers included a recruiter from Lyft who spoke about resume building, a psychology professor who gave stress relief tips and an economics professor that advised students to save 50 percent of what they earn.

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Most adults would consider that figure a child-like fantasy, but one economic truth everyone can agree on is that taxes are terrifying.

"The number one thing that everyone struggles with is taxes," says Lau.

To help make the topic less intimidating, she invited the most comforting person she could find: her mom (who happens to be an accountant).

Originally Lau hoped to include a life hacks session that addressed things like changing your oil, but there was pushback from the university administration that there wouldn't be enough academic reading on the topic, making it something more appropriate for a club than a college course – ironic, since so few adults can consider themselves a member of that club.